Latest Blog Posts

The Frost Family have backed their bags, their family and their jobs and have headed off around the world. They've landed in Italy where they are working remotely and enjoying the food, wine and scenery.

Belinda King caught up with Michelle Frost to see what's new for the Up Sticks and Go crew.

Burnie reporter Rick Eaves was all over the Cradle Coast Regional Tourism Awards in Queenstown last week. Among the many people he spoke to was the musically named Cyndia Hilliger, a partner in Coastal Pods, a unique tourism development on the Wynyard wharf which opened in May. The apartments, built from shipping containers were conceived well before this re-purposing of such containers became flavour of the month as showcased on programs like Grand Designs. Coastal Pods took the gong for best new tourism development.

Just over a week ago Smithton bus driver and fireman, Ossie Turnbull, retired from the former pursuit, bus driving, after 35 years on the highway 17 of which were on the coastliner express between Smithton and Hobart. Less than a week into retirement, he found himself fighting a house fire at Smithton with the local brigade AND being interviewed by our Burnie-based reporter, Rick Eaves. That's a tough day! To help with the stress, Rick took Ossie and his wife Jan back to his old Redline bus to help prompt memories such as the time live oysters flew out of another driver's cargo hold and into a paddock...

Northern Tasmania's frost Family have taken their lives, their kids & their work on the road and have just celebrated their First Year Anniversary! Currently in the UK, are there any plans for coming home soon? And what new IT technologies and trends did Michelle discover on a side trip to Portugal?

As part of National Reconciliation Week, students from Wynyard High School and Table Cape Primary walked the intended route of a ‘Kinship Walkway’ linking the two schools. With traditional music and dance provided by Launceston’s Everett family, Rick Eaves spoke with Jackie Waters, Project Manager for the Smith Family, students and local Palawa man Scott Wells, about the proposed walkway and about the path we’re all on as Australians...

This week, we’ve been talking about the groundbreaking changes to penalty rates in South Australia and asking you, would you like to see similar changes in Tasmania? Retail workers in South Australia will soon get a higher base pay while penalties for Saturdays and weekday evenings drop to nothing and the Sunday and public holiday rates are reduced. Burnie reporter Rick Eaves asked a local restaurant owner, a CBD retailer and a hairdresser for their thoughts on what similar changes to penalty rates would mean for them. Pictured, Kylie Sharman, restauranteur, Burnie.

Love parties? How about a seed party?! Bridgette Watts, from Urban farming Tasmania and the organiser of The Seed Party says the idea is to connect communities around the sharing of knowledge and seeds, inspiring everyone to get growing!

Bob Buchanan was approached in the 80's and offered $10,000 to run drugs from Indonesia. He chose not to take up the offer, but what was the thought process behind that decision and what difference would $10,000 have made to him then?

Belinda King spoke to him this morning about his story and also how he feels about the Bali 9, two of whom are set to face the firing squad for running drugs.

It's the digital age, and more and more publications are changing to an online format. One that is bucking the trend is Tasmanian publication Island magazine, which has decided not to publish online but to increase their print run instead.

Editor of Island magazine, Matthew Lamb, spoke to Belinda King about how this will work and why print isn't dead.

Have you ever had that dream of packing up your life and hitting the road? Well the Frost family has done just that, children and all. They've packed up their life, school and work and are spending a year travelling the world. They've hit Spain and are relishing in the food and culture.

It's on again, Festivale is here to tempt you with it's delicious wares. Wine critic and judge of the wines of Festivale, Windsor Dobbin, caught up with Belinda King this morning to fill us in on what we can expect from this years vintages.

Chinese superstar royalty is heading to Sheffield! Australia Down Under, a Chinese travel television show will be filming in the town on Sunday with Chinese stars like actor Huang Bo. Locals even have the chance to get involved as extras!

To find out more about how this intriguing event came to pass Belinda King caught up with Kentish Council Tourism Development Officer, Chris Frankcombe.

Rare and antique books collector Bede Moloney says a move from Hobart to the North West coast seven years ago has been surprisingly good for business. While not the heartland of Tassie’s old-money estates with their loaded bookshelves, the Burnie collector says there are rich pickings – though he wont tell you where to pick! SECRETS! Bede showed reporter Rick Eaves some of his treasures and revealed he has found strong interest from the US in the work of our late, great wilderness photographer, Peter Dombrovskis....